#Chapter 132 – United

When Victor and Evelyn walk back into the campsite, him still leaning heavily on her shoulder, their family is waiting for them.

Ian and Alvin rush forward, throwing themselves into their parents’ arms.

“We’re so glad you’re okay,” Alvin whispers, his voice excited but edged with sleepiness.

“Did you win?” Ian asks, looking excitedly up at his dad.

His dad ruffles his hair and gives him a warm smile, but doesn’t answer. It’s a complicated question.

Instead, the family moves, together, towards the still-burning fire at the middle of the campsite. Marissa and Bridgette are there, waiting, and Henry rolls out onto the porch of his cabin. Looking around, Victor can see his Beta team edging closer, all eager to hear the results of the trial.

“Well well,” Henry says, folding his hands in his lap. “I see that one of my sons has returned, apparently victorious. And where is Rafe?”

Evelyn can see Bridgette biting her lip, anxious.

Victor flicks his head backwards, indicating the still-dark forest, though dawn is starting to light the sky. “He’s still out there, writhing in the snow, feeling the effects of wolfsbane.”

Bridgette gasps, getting shakily to her feet, staring out into the woods. Evelyn’s heart goes out to her; if it had been Rafe that returned to let them know that Victor was lying in the snow, suffering, she’d be desperate to help him.

Henry opens his mouth to say more, but Victor interrupts him. “Rafe cheated. He sent a proxy in to take his place in the fight, not showing up until his entire force had been wiped out.”

Henry nods, glancing at the boys, who had told him the same. He opens his mouth, ready to declare a winner.

“But,” Victor continues, “the final blow to Rafe was not delt with my hand.”

Betas look at Victor and Evelyn,

shrugs. “I did

grab the bottle of white wine out of its cooling pile of snow. “And now I’m going to bed. We can

right,” Victor says, nodding. “We’re exhausted, we’ll sort this out in the morning after the medic teams go retrieve the wounded.” With this, he looks pointedly at his lead Beta, who nods, salutes, and then

clearing a wide smile, and not giving them a chance to protest, Evelyn grabs two metal mugs out of a box of supplies and then, decisively,

of their snow gear. Their eyes are half-lidded now after all of the excitement. They

turns to see Victor tending to his ankle, hissing as

she asks, coming

murmurs, wincing as he flexes and points his foot. “Sprained, I think, but badly.” She hands him a long strip of gauze from a first-aid pack she finds beneath the bed and he wraps his ankle tightly. When he finishes, Evelyn hands him two ibuprofen from the kit and

then chasing them with sauvignon

his injured leg up onto some pillows to decrease the swelling. “You’ll see a

eyes and leans his head back. Evelyn climbs into the bed as well, curling up next to him, her mostly-empty

dragging a frustrated hand down his face.

can’t handle,” Evelyn murmurs, taking the final sip of her wine and then lazily putting the cup up on the nearby windowsill. They are silent, a moment,

pry it from my cold dead hands,” he murmurs back. “But considering they’d have to get through you three first,” he says, smiling and stroking her

to him, not letting herself think about tomorrow, when the trial would

the sun is streaming through the windows of the cabin. She blinks against it as she feels Victor sitting up next to her,

wincing as he puts his injured leg on the floor. “Go back

says from across the room, rubbing his eyes. “We’re not missing the

it,” Evelyn murmurs, rubbing a hand over her sleepy head. “For four

gives her a small laugh before hobbling off towards the bathroom. He knows she wouldn’t miss

he says, eager. “Look, there’s uncle Rafe!” Alvin joins him at the window, peering out to see their uncle bundled in blankets, sitting in a wheelchair

“He’s pretty beat

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